World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

In early 1998, my heart was heavy with sorrow, because after 18 years of fruitful gospel ministry in India and more than 40 campaigns, our ministry there had come to an end. A political party, with an agenda to make India a religious state, was gaining ground, and I was charged with the “crime” of “mass conversion”, and banned from the country.

The Orissa campaign in April, 2010 was a great come-back, and our partners and friends made it possible. Our strategy, to conduct our first gospel campaign back in India in Orissa, was that this is a state known for its anti-christian persecution. A successful outreach here would break down walls of fear, because if it can happen in Orissa, it can happen anywhere.

Already at the press conference, the openness was evident, with 30 journalists questioning me about the Gospel and our approach of friendship and respect towards all people, regardless of religion. Again, at our Friendship Dinner with representatives from the Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jain and Bahai religions, I presented the Gospel, and our approach met with a great response.

Pastor Dave Imler joined me in the Pastors’ Seminar with 1,359 delegates, from every district in the state. I was struck with how religious legalism has barricaded Christians behind a wall of tradition, causing an inability to reach out to society at large. I guess the same could be said for just about any country. This is why the Gospel Revolution seminars for pastors are so important; to tear that wall of tradition down.

Night after night the platform was full of people testifying of healings. Sickness can really make people lose hope, but here “hopeless” people, not only received physical healing, but more importantly, new life in Jesus.
My associate, Nathan Thurber, filed this report.

The leading newspaper headlined, ‘Youngren is distributing the magic of God’s love’. Though ‘magic’ is not normally a word we use, the rest of the article shows the openness of this large Hindu newspaper in Orissa’s capital, Bhubaneshwar. It continues, ‘the blind are seeing, the lame are walking and the deaf are hearing at the Orissa Gospel Festival.’ This is an astounding article in a strict Hindu region of India, rocked in 2008 by religious violence that left many dead and countless more homeless. Bhubaneshwar has a population that is over 95% Hindu, and is known as the city of temples, boasting more than 600 Hindu temples, many of which are massive, beautiful works of ancient art The newspaper continues, ‘Dr. Youngren preached his reliance on Jesus, not reliance on self or religion.’

The Orissa newspaper accurately caught the essence of Peter’s message - it is all about Jesus, religion is not the answer. Peter is not a healing guru. No, Jesus is Lord! “Jesus is with you and is alive among you”, the paper quotes Peter. This same sentiment was later echoed by those testifying of healing.

Each day myself and Lionel Daniel, together with a translator, visited some of the homes of those healed. One staunch Hindu man, whose daughter had been deaf and dumb since birth, but now healed, broke down in tears of joy as he shared what Jesus had done. He told me that he and his daughter had received New Life through Jesus the previous evening. He went on to explain that religious teachers had told him his daughter was deaf due to sins in their previous reincarnated lives, but he refused to accept this, and sought a better life for his 24 year old daughter. They traveled 400 km, after having heard of the Gospel Festival through newspaper advertisements, which partners helped pay to print. [Thank you, partners!].

Sukesini, an elderly lady whose eyes had been blind for the last 3 years, told me she wanted to die because of her hopeless situation. Her husband had died years before and she now lives with her daughter and children. Her daughter, sobbing tears of joy, told me it had been such a burden on the family taking care of their blind mother. Last night Sukesini’s grand-daughter led her by the hand to the Festival. After the healing prayer she took her hand off her eyes and the first thing she saw was Pastor Peter’s striped shirt.

We also visited Mr. Raghunath, a former government official, and a devoted Hindu, who had spent half his monthly pension on medical bills since 2003. He had damaged both his legs 7 years ago, and never recovered. He recounted how Jesus had healed his legs last night. Then he invited us into the back room of his house, where a floor to ceiling shrine housed more statues and pictures of “gods” than I could count. He showed me a small bed where they put the gods to sleep. His wife showed me an entire fridge full of summer and winter cloths she had made for the “gods”. She would bath and change their cloths every morning. Such devotion and dedication. True to John 3:15-17, Jesus came to save all humanity, body, soul and spirit, including Mr. Raghunath. As I exited Mr. Raghunath’s home, I spotted a World Impact Ministries follow up book, “Salvation – God’s gift to you” on their table. This is exactly what partner’s donations do- the money you give prints follow up material and the Gospel is taken directly into the homes of unreached people. Thank you, partners!

Each night a thunderous roar emits from the tightly packed crowd on the open field as Pastor Peter leads the crowd in the salvation prayer. A sea of hands are raised in a majestic response to God’s love revealed through Jesus for all people, regardless of cast or religion.

The Orissa Gospel Festival was not without difficulties. It took many twists and turns, including untold negotiations with federal authorities in New Delhi, India, the State government in Orissa and the Indian Consulate, before I was granted permission to preach the Gospel.

The backdrop to the Orissa campaign is that for the past 15 years Orissa has been known for communal violence, highlighted by the brutal murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in 1999. As late as August, 2008 there were thirty-five attacks on Christian institutions in one night. Many have prayed and the spiritual climate has changed. This is harvest time.

One more beautiful story. A Hindu girl, Haripyra Sing, has been paralyzed and living on a 5 dollars per month disability support. Her family’s annual salary is less than $300. Living 400 km from the capital, her dad managed to borrow the $80 needed to get a car to drive Haripyra to the Gospel Festival. Everyone was in tears, seeing the wonder of God that had healed this hopeless girl.

Now invitations are coming from different cities across India. This puts pressure on our financial situation; how will we handle this new season of harvest in India?

Whenever I feel pressure, I turn it over to HIM, who is capable of handling pressure, Jesus Christ himself.  I am glad to be your partner in the Gospel. I know that when we join hands, together we will see much fruit. Our commitment is to the let everyone know the Good News of Jesus.